Promise Me
by Ice-Song
Summary: Tsuna is abandoned at the Italian airport and Xanxus unwittingly saves him. Afterwards, Tsuna walks in on an injured Xanxus at 3 am. Everything spirals from there. X27


/ / is italian, ( ) is the one line in english " " is japanese. Enjoy.

* * *

"Where?" Tsuna asked dumbly.

"We're going to Italy for a week or two," Reborn repeated. "The ninth Vongola boss would like you to see where you'll be boss and has arranged for you to take a small trip to the main headquarters."

"But I don't want to be the boss," Tsuna wailed but he knew by experience that his cries had fallen on deaf ears.

"Also, you'll be taking this trip alone, the ninth wants to see how well you handle yourself when you're alone. There will be adequate protection of course but you won't be able to tell they're there," Reborn continued. "This is a test, Tsuna. Don't mess it up."

Tsuna gulped and strongly considered jumping out his bed room window in an attempt to escape. Maybe he could hide out at Yamamoto's or something. All possible escape plans were dashed when he heard Reborn's gun cock and felt something pressing against his head. He knew from experience that the weapon now pointed at his person was not a toy and that whether he wanted to or not he was getting on that plane. A small whimper escaped his lips but no other signs of protest could be heard as he sighed and began to pack his things.

Tsuna walked into the plane terminal and looked around. He immediately noticed something, or as the case may be, the lack thereof something. There was not one person he recognized in that terminal. There weren't even men dressed in tasteful black suits, lounging around and looking like they were waiting for someone. Even if there were such men, Tsuna wouldn't dare approach them. His sense of self preservation had gotten a little better over the years and he knew damn well any 'mafia' could be Vongola or be someone who might want to kill him.

That wasn't even his problem. His problem was there was no one, no one he could turn to. Reborn had conveniently vanished and he was currently stuck in the airport terminal of a country where he didn't really speak the language and he had no way of finding out where he needed to go. Even if he did speak Italian (which he kind of did, a smattering at least, courtesy of Reborn's Spartan study regimen and Gokudera's help in making sure Reborn didn't shoot him dead) it's not like he could just waltz up to some poor shmuck on the street and ask them where the most powerful mafia family resided. He was sure he would either get laughed at or in a whole lot of trouble. Or maybe both.

So he stood there, awkwardly holding onto his small rolling carryon as if it were a life support in this sea of people. He was looking around as if someone might magically appear and help him in his hour of need and somehow someone actually did notice a poor kid looking around as if he was on the brink of a nervous breakdown. Tsuna hated to admit it but he didn't look anywhere 

near his supposed nineteen years and he was quite prone to panic attacks. Then again, with Reborn behind you every second of every day, who could blame him?

/"Are you all right?"/ he heard a woman's voice ask and he breathed in a sigh of relief as it was one of the few Italian phrases he knew.

Tsuna turned to the woman's voice and smiled awkwardly as he ransacked his brain for enough words to somehow explain his situation. "Um…" he muttered. /"No…no one came…"/ he tried, haltingly. His broken Italian earned himself an odd look but he could tell that she sort of understood. /"I…"/ Tsuna desperately tried to think of the conjugation for 'I' then finally gave up. /"I alone…"/ Tsuna winced at horrendous he knew he must have sounded. /"Lost…"/ he finally said, exhaling.

The woman looked at him for a bit then smiled. She said something that Tsuna did not understand at all and then she motioned for him to follow her. /"Come,"/ she said. /"Help,"/ she continued and pointed ahead of her to what Tsuna assumed was an information kiosk.

/"Thank you,"/ Tsuna muttered, blushing and followed the woman to the place she was pointing to.

She smiled warmly in return and walked up to the kiosk with Tsuna in tow. She said something very quickly in Italian and pointed to Tsuna. Tsuna smiled for his benefit, trying to convey somehow that he really wasn't an idiot and that life just sort of hated him in general. It wasn't his fault, really.

The worker glanced at him then seemed to think of something. ("Do you speak English?") he asked slowly.

Tsuna understood as much but if there was any class in school that he had failed spectacularly, it was English. Not even Gokudera could keep him from getting sevens or eights on those tests. Tsuna shook his head mutely, an angry blush forming on his face. He took in a deep breath and took a shot in the dark. "I'm Japanese," he said in his own language, looking hopefully at the two people in front of him. Their blank stares shattered his hopes and he sighed.

The man at the desk scratched his head and said something to the woman who nodded and then smiled at Tsuna and motioned. /"Come,"/ she said.

Tsuna followed and sighed again, ashamed at his own uselessness. /"Where?/" he asked.

She said a word in reply that Tsuna did not understand but he smiled and pretended to know what she said, just to keep himself from looking worse. He followed her down several streets and she stopped at a rather large, stately looking building and pointed. /"Help,"/ she repeated and he followed her inside.

Tsuna looked around and saw men and women walking around in uniforms that looked like police uniforms. He glanced around nervously and realized that they were police men and women. He almost groaned again, wondering how bad it was for someone like him, whose only ties in Italy were to people of the mafia, waltzing in and ask where the Vongola were. He dejectedly followed her to the front desk and half listened as she talked then looked up at the man. He nodded and smiled at the woman. He then looked down at Tsuna and gave him what Tsuna fancied was a look of pity and motioned. He turned to the woman and thanked her again then followed the man, trying to think of any way out of this situation.

He followed the man to a small waiting area and sat awkwardly, wondering what criminals might be marched through these halls and wondered if it was okay that he was sitting in the waiting area of a police station. He drew his knees to his chest and sighed. The man made a motion that he figured meant 'you should stay here' and vanished.

Tsuna looked at the floor, only looking up again when the man came back. /"Hello,"/ he said warmly.

Tsuna looked up at the man and noticed he had blonde hair and blue eyes and his entire demeanor sort of reminded him of Dino. He relaxed a little and smiled in reply. /"Hello,"/ he said.

The man pulled out a pad of paper and a pen. He clicked the pen so that he could write and sat in the chair next to Tsuna. /"Name?"/ he asked.

Tsuna blinked and realized that no one had yet asked him his name, which seemed sort of odd, then again he wasn't sure how he would handle someone he couldn't understand either. Maybe the police was the best choice. "Tsunayoshi Sawada," he said promptly, taking great care to switch the surname and given name so as to avoid confusion.

The man's brows knitted but he continued on anyways. "/Years?/" he asked.

Tsuna ran through the numbers in his head quickly until he came to the right one. /"Nineteen,"/ he replied hesitantly.

/"Japan?/ he asked and Tsuna nodded. The man looked at him oddly then sighed. /"Iemitsu?"/ he asked.

Tsuna blinked, wondering why his dad's name had suddenly come up. He opened his mouth then shut it, remembering that his dad was the right hand man of the ninth boss of the Vongola. Of course he was known to the police here. Tsuna groaned a little and sighed, looking more than a little embarrassed. /"Father,"/ he admitted finally.

The man seemed to take his reaction into account because he smiled reassuringly and nodded. /"It's fine,"/ he said and flipped his pad closed. Tsuna watched him get up and walk away, then he resumed his staring at the floor.

A few minutes later he heard a loud crash as a door opened and everyone in the station turned to look. He heard a loud voice laughing and say something that he figured was not very nice. What's worse was he knew exactly who that voice belonged to. Tsuna looked around wildly in some sort of hope that a door might magically appear and he would be able to jump into it and hide, or maybe go back to Japan.

He sighed and just curled up into a ball as the stomping of expensive Italian made shoes got closer and closer. Maybe, just maybe, he would pass him by and it wouldn't amount to anything. His hopes were dashed as the stomping stopped and he knew that the man was standing in front of him. His arms were probably crossed and he was probably glaring at him like he was something not worthy of being on the bottom of his shoe. "What in the hell are you doing here?" he heard the gravelly voice say dangerously.

The whole station seemed to be trying it's hardest to not look like they were paying attention while they actually were and Tsuna once again found himself in the center of attention he did not want. "Your dad ordered me to come," Tsuna replied, finally looking up and staring Xanxus in the face. He looked exactly as he imagined except there was a highly amused Squalo standing next to him.

"Voi! The king of the brats is here!" Squalo yelled, the delight in his voice apparent.

"Hi Squalo," Tsuna said as politely as he possibly could. "And hi Xanxus."

Xanxus' eyes narrowed as Tsuna stared him in the face. "Where are your babysitters?" Xanxus asked.

Tsuna gulped as he was suddenly very grateful he was in a police station. "Not here. The ninth's orders," he explained in a voice barely above a whisper.

Xanxus' angry mouth split into a horrible, spine tingling grin that made Tsuna want to get on the next mode of transportation back to Japan and never show his face in Italy again. "Oh," he said simply while Squalo snickered behind him.

The man that had asked for Tsuna's name and age earlier had come back and suddenly the entire police station suddenly went back to work again. He said something in Italian in a tone that made Tsuna wonder just how angry he really was. Xanxus' said something in reply and Tsuna heard his name. He quickly stood up and looked at Xanxus', slightly afraid. "What are you saying Xanxus?" he asked with as much bravado as he dared.

Tsuna withered under the dark glare that Xanxus gave him and Squalo, not to be one to miss anything potentially amusing. "Voi! He's explaining that you're the next Vongola boss and that you're coming back with us."

"What?" Tsuna squeaked, the blood rushing from his face. He wasn't sure which was worse, the fact that Xanxus had announced to the world he was the next boss of a dangerous mafia in a police station or that he was about to take a trip alone with Xaxnus and Squalo. "Th-that's not true!" he said to the man in Japanese, in some attempt to defuse the situation.

Xanxus and Squalo both grinned, obviously enjoying Tsuna's pain. Tsuna waved his arms wildly and shook his head. /"No,"/ he said firmly in Italian.

Xanxus' eyebrow shot up at Tsuna's use of Italian. He said something to Tsuna in Italian and Tsuna could only state blankly back. "Apparently not," he said with a disappearing grin.

Despite Tsuna's rapidly worsening situation he at least had the pride to look offended when he was being toyed with by the two older men. The police officer asked something in Italian and Squalo's face lit up with a wicked grin as he replied and pointed at Tsuna's hand. He earned himself a very well aimed and very hard punch that sent the silver haired assassin into the chair next to Tsuna. Tsuna squeaked and then looked at the policeman who stood there looking at him with an almost awestruck look on his face. He glanced down at his hand and realized with a little embarrassment that he was wearing the Vongola ring on his finger. He pulled his hands up to his chest in an effort to hide it and glanced at Squalo as he started to chuckle darkly.

"What? What's going on?" Tsuna asked, becoming more and more confused and upset.

"Nothing," Xanxus growled and grabbed Tsuna's wrist, pulling him out of his chair and almost dragging him towards the door. Oddly enough the policeman he was talking to made no effort to stop him, then again Tsuna had no clue as to what was said.

"W-wait, what?" Tsuna asked.

Squalo caught up with them and smiled smugly. "Voi! He asked how we knew you and I explained that you had defeated him in a right of succession to the Vongola name six years ago."

Xanxus' jaw muscles tightened but he did not try to cause any bodily harm to Squalo. Tsuna wondered when the two had gotten to the point where they could actually tease each other, or at least test each others' limits without repercussion. Then again maybe Squalo was picking a fight and Xanxus was going to oblige once they were out of the police station. Tsuna decided that his second scenario was more likely.

Tsuna sighed and pulled his suitcase behind him as he was pulled out of the police station by a very angry looking Xanxus and slightly amused Squalo. He followed them quietly to a black car waiting outside of the station. He paused, hesitating to get in a strange car with a man he knew 

wanted to kill him but Xanxus' obviously wasn't in the mood and picked Tsuna up and tossed him without ceremony into the car and got in next to him with a growl.

Tsuna rubbed his head and hurriedly put on his seatbelt as the car began to move. After an hour he attempted conversation. "W-why were you there?" Tsuna asked quietly.

The double glare that came his way shocked him into silence and he suddenly developed an intense interest in his knees. After about five more minutes Xanxus replied, more to punish Squalo then to inform Tsuna but Tsuna was grateful. "This idiot almost got caught after an assassination and we've been in the station all day."

Tsuna nodded, not daring to make any sort of eye contact and realized that Squalo was picking a fight with Xanxus. Fighting was probably their only way of dealing with their frustrations. Tsuna sighed and hoped the ride would be over soon.

* * *

Tsuna was pulled into the Vongola mansion immediately and the two Varia members vanished almost immediately. He was ushered to a large, fancy looking suite and told to stay. Tsuna looked around the large room awkwardly and then cast his gaze down, not really wanting to accept his current reality.

The ninth Vongola boss came up behind him and Tsuna heard him chuckle warmly, as if he knew exactly what Tsuna was thinking. Tsuna hated it when he could tell that other people aside from him could tell what he was thinking. He made a small face that he didn't think the older man could see and heard another chuckle for his efforts. The ninth boss patted him on the shoulder gently and then tousled his hair affectionately, as a relative might do for a small child. Tsuna didn't like to be treated like a child but he would be lying if he said he didn't find some comfort in the gesture.

"Thank you for flying all the way out here," he said with genuine happiness in his voice and Tsuna relaxed a little more. "I'm sure the decision to come here wasn't easy. I'm surprised that you came alone."

Tsuna ran these words through his mind and processed their meaning. Finally he came up with a proper response. "Huh?" he asked dumbly.

"It… wasn't your decision to come alone?" The ninth asked.

"R-reborn… Reborn said…" Tsuna started but he was cut off by the infant hit man himself appearing at the door of his new room for the next two weeks.

"Tsuna needs to learn how to take care of himself. His guardians will not be there in every situation," Reborn said coldly.

Tsuna glared angrily at the hit man. "Reborn!" he yelled. "You left me at the airport by myself!"

The ninth raised an eyebrow but didn't offer any further comment as Reborn shrugged. "You made it here on your own just fine. You're an adult, you can take care of yourself."

Tsuna almost cried in frustration but decided against it as the ninth Vongola boss was standing right next to him. The ninth smiled almost apologetically and nodded. "Well, I do think it's a good idea for you to take care of yourself but a lot can be said for the comfort of friends. Regardless you are here and everyone is safe. Dinner will begin in a little bit but considering the time in Japan and the long flight, perhaps you would like to rest?" he asked.

Tsuna nodded numbly and watched as the older man and Reborn took their leave. He sighed and fell onto his bed. Five minutes later he was fast asleep.

* * *

Tsuna woke up about eight hours later, wide awake. He looked at the clock and hissed as it displayed 2:35 am cheerfully back at him. He sighed and decided to take a shower in an effort to try and relax.

One shower later he was feeling considerably cleaner and more refreshed but not any more tired. He pulled on some different clothes and glanced around his room. He wondered if he would get into any trouble for exploring. He decided that there should be no problem and quietly walked out of his room into the darkened halls of the mansion.

To say the house was beautiful was an understatement. The house was gorgeous with large ornate halls with carved pillars and archways, expensive curtains and a plush carpet that made Tsuna wonder if this was it was like to walk on clouds. He looked around in wonder and shook his head. This was just the hallway he thought in awe.

Tsuna wandered around the extravagant mansion and managed to locate a library, a sitting room, a dining room and a meeting room without much trouble. He wandered past the second dining room he found and managed to locate the kitchen. He smiled and wandered inside, thinking that maybe a glass of warm milk would help him sleep. What he found in the kitchen killed any and all possibility of sleep that night.

Xanxus was there, sitting in the dark over a cup filled with a clear liquid. He was hissing but looked rather pleased with himself as he took a large sip from the rather full glass. It didn't take a genius to realize that Xanxus was extremely drunk. Tsuna tried to back out of the kitchen unnoticed but the older man turned around suddenly and fixed Tsuna with a glare. Then he raised his glass to acknowledge Tsuna's appearance then turned back around and continued to drink.

Tsuna wondered if he was dismissed but something held him back. He looked at Xanxus' back intently trying to think what was off, aside from the lack of killing of his person. Then it hit him, 

Xanxus' shirt was torn. He thought again and realized that not only was his shirt torn but he was fairly sure those dark stains were caused by blood. If it was Xanxus' or someone else's Tsuna did not know but it seemed like a bad idea to let Xanxus sit there and drink himself into oblivion if he was bleeding to death.

Tsuna took in a deep breath and gathered up his courage. While he mentally wondered what in the bloody hell he was doing and why was he even remotely concerned for someone who he knew would love nothing more than to see him six feet under his body wandered over to the side of the hall and his hands groped around until they found a switch. The lights flickered on and Tsuna heard a feral growl that almost made his heart stop. He cursed himself for having a death wish as he walked over to Xanxus and took his condition in.

His eyes widened as he realized that the nagging voice in the back of his mind telling him that Xanxus needed help was right. It always was. Him and his damn intuition, maybe Reborn was right, he needed to stop being such a nice person. "Um…" he said softly.

Xanxus glared at him, too drunk and weak to attack, Tsuna could tell but he figured Xanxus may kill him in his sleep when he was better. Tsuna took a better look at the wounds and realized they were thin cuts and bruises that adorned his body. He realized what happened and smiled weakly. "So, how's Squalo then?" he asked quietly.

"Alive," Xanxus growled.

"Ah," Tsuna said, unsure if that was something he needed to be concerned about or not. He decided that he didn't need to worry about two homicidal maniacs and that Squalo, wherever he was, probably was doing a better job of tending to himself then drinking until it didn't hurt anymore. Then again, maybe he was, who knew?

"Go away," Xanxus muttered.

Tsuna sighed and taking comfort in the knowledge that Xanxus wouldn't be able to kill him until at least the alcohol wore off he pulled a large tub from a cabinet and set it into the sink. He turned on the warm water and waited for it to get hotter.

"Go away or I'll kill you," Xanxus said.

Tsuna paused slightly but continued to bustle about the kitchen, only focusing on the tasks at hand because he wasn't sure if he could bear to think about what he was actually going to try to do. He felt Xanxus' eyes on the back of his head and gulped, glad that looks couldn't kill or he very well might be writing his eulogy.

He searched around and found a soft cloth that seemed like it would do for the task at hand. He dunked it into the steaming water and pulled it out, wringing the cloth tightly and turned to 

Xanxus. He knew he must look absolutely terrified because Xanxus wore a look on his face that clearly said 'do that and I swear you will not be alive to see the sun rise.'

Tsuna gulped and rethought his priorities but a dripping sound made him pause before bolting out the door. He glanced back at the faucet and saw that it was tightly shut off. He then looked at Xanxus' arm and saw that a steady pool of blood was dripping to the floor. He screwed up his courage before one of the most powerful hit men in the mafia bled to death after a fight with his best friend that Tsuna was fairly sure Xanxus actually won. It would suck to die after a fight you won, at least he thought it would. "You're bleeding," Tsuna told him quietly.

"No shit," Xanxus growled then took another long sip from his glass.

Tsuna sighed and took a very small step forward with the hot cloth clutched into his hands. Xanxus watched every move, as if daring Tsuna to get closer. Tsuna edged towards the man, still unsure as to why he was risking his life to help someone who would just as soon kill him.

"Th' fuck you doin?" he slurred.

Tsuna gulped and went for broke. "You're bleeding," he said again. "I mean, you… it's stupid to pass out from blood loss if you won the fight," Tsuna said as quietly as he could while still saying it. He hoped Xanxus hadn't heard him.

"You think I won the fight?" Xanxus asked with a wicked grin playing his lips. "Or you know."

"I…know…" Tsuna said quietly. "I mean…" Tsuna blinked. How did he know Xanxus had won that fight? Squalo was strong, it was possible that maybe, just maybe Squalo had beaten Xanxus. He had just assumed that Xanxus won because… well… because any other outcome seemed off. Even a draw seemed unlikely. For some reason Tsuna had hardcore faith, the kind that most reserve for religion, that Xanxus could not lose a fight, or at least not against Squalo. That was kind of weird.

Xanxus chuckled rather darkly and Tsuna looked up. "You don't think I can lose, do you?" he asked with a grin.

Tsuna blushed. "I… um well, I…" Tsuna took in a deep breath. "No," he admitted. Perhaps it was because he fought him first hand and knew the unrelenting power that lay underneath the older man's scarred exterior. Maybe it was because he had some sort of hope that Xanxus couldn't lose, because it meant that maybe he was strong enough to never lose. Then again he would also never kill anyone. It didn't matter, the idea that Xanxus couldn't lose gave him some sort of hope that maybe he himself was also strong and also it seemed like some sort of impossibility for Xanxus to lose. He had his own doubts that he could defeat Xanxus again.

"Tha's fuckin great," Xanxus laughed and finished off the glass. "Why, because you want to think you're invincible? Or because of that goddamn intuition of yours."

Tsuna sighed and threw all caution to the wind. He stepped forward and grabbed Xanxus' arm. "Both," he said. "I don't want to lose, but I can't kill either, so it doesn't matter. And… you're strong," he said softly pulling up the sleeve and pressing the cloth against the deep wound that caused the blood to pool. "I know you're strong, I can tell you've gotten stronger. You won't lose, you can't lose. Not since…" Tsuna stopped and he could feel the murder intent ooze from the man he was currently tending. "Not since our fight," he whispered.

Xanxus' lips twisted upward in some semblance of a grin but Tsuna could tell there was no humor or wit behind that smile. It was empty, cold and cruel just like the person wearing it. "So," Xanxus continued his bloodlust still thick in the air. "You don't want me to lose."

"No," Tsuna said softly. "I…" Tsuna blushed, wondering why on earth he was being so honest. Maybe it was because he knew that if he lied Xanxus really would kill him. "It's not that, I don't want to see you dead," he admitted. "I don't want to see anyone dead but… it's more that it's not that I don't want you to lose, it's that you can't lose."

Xanxus put his hand on top of the hand that Tsuna was using to hold the towel in place. Xanxus' hand engulfed Tsuna's. Compared to Xanxus, Tsuna might as well have been a girl. His fingers were thin and the hand was small. He knew he was shorter than the bigger man. Xanxus' hand was large, thick and scarred. Tsuna was unsure of what to do as Xanxus' grip got tighter and tighter over his tiny hand. "Um…" he finally said.

"If you want to stop bleeding, you apply pressure," Xanxus told him.

"O-oh," Tsuna said and then quickly pulled his hand away when Xanxus let up. He rubbed his hand and glanced everywhere except at Xanxus. "I'm… going back to bed," he said softly and quickly left the room, feeling Xanxus' gaze burning into the back of his skull every step of the way.

* * *

Tsuna woke up the next morning around noon, tired and completely exhausted. He groaned and saw Reborn staring at him. He groaned again and buried his face into his pillow. "Jet lag shouldn't make you like this," Reborn chastised. "It's unbecoming of a future mafia boss."

"I'm not…" Tsuna protested but Reborn landed a kick to his middle before he could finish.

"Don't say that here," Reborn said simply and left the room.

Tsuna groaned and rolled out of bed. Of course not, that would be suicide, he thought. He looked down at his shirt and saw a small red stain on it. He remembered the previous night and felt a blush rise to his cheeks and hoped fervently that Xanxus wouldn't remember a thing.

Tsuna walked into the dining room and felt Xanxus staring at him even though he had yet to locate the Varia boss. Nope, he remembered. Tsuna sighed and prepared for another day.

* * *

A week and a disturbing lack of Xanxus trying to kill him later Tsuna hoped against all hope that he would be returning home but Reborn decided that he should stay for another week, maybe two just to get things going. At the very least no one had challenged him or threatened him or anything that he had expected. In fact, aside from Xanxus, everyone in the Vongola was very nice. Although he was earmarked as the next boss probably had a lot to do with that.

Regardless Tsuna felt the need to hide in the library for a bit when Reborn told him that he was going to stay. It mostly had to do with the fact that he groaned out loud when Reborn told him that and several more prominent Vongola members had been there. Reborn may or may not have his head for that.

Tsuna wandered into the back of the library and found a nice long row of books to duck behind. He sighed and leaned against the row and closed his eyes. A few second later he heard a dark chuckle and jumped a foot into the air. He spun around as saw Xanxus standing there with an almost amused look on his face. "The baby is after you?" he asked.

"Probably," Tsuna admitted. 'Here it is,' he thought. 'He's now gonna kill me for that first night. God, why did I think I could fix him up like some injured cat or something? He's more like an injured lion, or maybe even an injured tiger. Whatever he is, he's officially gonna kill me.'

Xanxus took a step forward and Tsuna quickly opened his mouth in an effort to keep his life. "Look, about that night, I know I was stupid to try and do that but you were bleeding and it was everywhere and I just wanted to help. Not that you need help. Really, I know you're strong enough and rea…mph…" Tsuna was quieted by one of those large hands covering his mouth and Xanxus pressing his body into the bookshelf.

"You never know when to shut the hell up," Xanxus growled.

Tsuna stared back at him with wide, terrified eyes and Xanxus grinned back. "First of all, you're right, you were stupid. No, I do not need help. Secondly, that's not why I'm here." Tsuna's look changed to one of confusion. Xanxus chuckled and his look changed to something else entirely. "Can't say I've ever had someone tell me I can't lose before. I've been told a lot of things, but never have I been told to not lose."

'That's not what I meant,' Tsuna wanted to say but Xanxus' hand stayed firmly in place.

"You're weak," Xanxus told Tsuna. "You're stupid, you don't know when to shut up or back off. You're a pathetic excuse for a Mafioso and you hardly deserve the title of the tenth Vongola boss."

Tsuna winced as the insults came his way but he didn't even try to reply, not like he could anyways.

"I don't want to follow you and I personally think you'll end up either biting it or something like it will happen within five years," Xanxus continued. Tsuna started to shake and Xanxus slowly lowered his hand. "However, you were named the next Vongola boss and whether I like it or not you will lead this family. So, here's my deal. I will never lose, and you will become the best goddamn boss this family has ever had, or so help me I will end your sorry existence myself. Got it?"

Tsuna nodded, terrified out of his wits. "B-but… you won't… lose…" he whispered.

"And neither will you," Xanxus growled. "The man who defeated me will become the next boss, and unless I kill you I will make sure you make it through every goddamn day, even if you don't feel like living on."

Tsuna's breath caught in the back of his throat as he tried to decipher Xanxus' words. He wasn't sure but this almost… maybe… seemed like a confession. A Xanxus confession but how else was he supposed to infer a promise to never lose and to always be protected no matter what. "Um… what do you mean?" Tsuna asked, just to make sure.

Xanxus hissed, and grabbed Tsuna by the front of his shirt. Tsuna felt himself being lifted off the ground by the admittedly stronger man and pulled at Xanxus' hands to try and breathe. Any effort to get oxygen back into his body was abruptly cut off by the bigger man's mouth over his. Tsuna's eyes widened as Xanxus kissed him deeply and savagely cutting off all his air and almost making him pass out. Thankfully he lowered Tsuna back to the floor before he had the chance to collapse. "Oh…" Tsuna said dazedly.

Xanxus grinned wolfishly. "Be thankful, brat. No matter where you turn I will be there and if you screw up you can be sure that I will either end it or I will end you, depending."

"H-how many times are you going to threaten my life?" Tsuna asked while trying to calm his racing heart.

"As many times as it takes," Xanxus replied cryptically. "And if you die by anyone else, I will never forgive you," he hissed.

"I won't die," Tsuna said with more confidence then he felt.

"And I won't lose," Xanxus replied. "I will always be here, always."

Tsuna looked up at the man towering over him and realized that… in some twisted way, somehow Xanxus was confessing to him. Whatever Xanxus felt for him, it was something deeper than he had ever experienced and that knowledge scared him. He also knew that he had no choice but to accept Xanxus' feelings or he might end up dead anyways. Even though, he knew when Xanxus leaned down again for another, softer kiss that he wasn't accepting Xanxus' feelings out of fear. Just like when he tried to care for Xanxus a week ago, he was acting out of 

his own confused feelings for the scary man. Somehow, some way they had come together and against all odds, decided to give themselves to the other.

Xanxus ended the kiss and forced Tsuna to look in his eyes. "That means," he said referring to their promises they made earlier. "We will always be together."

Tsuna nodded, realizing that it was true. "Yes," he said softly.

* * *

A oneshot for an awesome pairing. Hugs to my reviewers. For some reason my account is screwing real bad with format and my submitting so sorry if there are any errors.


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